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[Who Needs Humans?] Alexa and Cortana will start talking to each other later this year

Some companies see competition in the same field as an adversary that needs to be eliminated in the most cutthroat way, and others see it as a potential for synergistic growth. That latter approach seems to be the philosophy Microsoft and Amazon are taking when it comes to voice assistants. The two companies have just announced that their two brainchildren will be able to talk to each other by the end of the year.

[Who Needs Humans?] Alexa and Cortana will start talking to each other later this year was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Verizon begins pushing Android 8.0 Oreo update to its Pixel and Pixel XL

Verizon Pixel and Pixel XL owners, it sounds like you’ve got an Oreo treat coming your way.

Verizon says that it’s starting to push Android 8.0 Oreo to its Pixel and Pixel XL today, August 29th. The update is version OPR6.170623.012 and includes features that you’d expect from an Oreo update. That means that you’re getting picture-in-picture, autofill, notification dots, and more.

As with most over the air software updates, Verizon is likely sending Oreo out to Pixel and Pixel XL units in stages. That means that it might take a few days for the update to hit your device. You can always manually check for the update if you’d like, which you can do by going into Settings > System > System updates > Check for update.

When Google revealed Android Oreo last week, it said that the update would begin going out to devices soon, and it looks like that was indeed the case. We haven’t seen any other Nexus or Pixel phones get their Oreo treat quite yet, but now that Verizon has started to push the update to its Pixel phones, the updates for other devices shouldn’t be too far off.

Sources: Verizon Pixel, Pixel XL

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Android and Me 9:12 AM No comments

Instagram adds format choice when sharing multiple photos

Standing strong as the image-centric social network, Instagram continues to add new features in its quest to remain relevant. It wasn’t long ago that the company introduced the ability to share multiple photos in a single post. The feature had been heavily requested by users and its introduction served as both a new means of creative expression and an effort to curb users sharing multiple single-image posts in quick succession.

The drawback of the multi-photo feature was that all photos needed to be cropped into a square format. Criticism of the oversight has been prevalent, and today Instagram added portrait and landscape format choice when sharing multiple photos.

Praise of the update has been overwhelming, with many applauding the company for listening to users.

With a competitive market for social media, Instagram has grown consistently since its launch, while also maintaining strong usage rates from existing customers. Though the company came under fire when it eliminated chronological feed order, it’s remained popular as ever, overshadowing Snapchat and serving as a powerful compliment to its parent company, Facebook. The key for Instagram now, is ensuring that it can monetize its service, without drawing the ire of its customers.

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31 new and notable Android games from the last week (8/23/17 - 8/29/17)

Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android games that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so.

Please wait for this page to load in full in order to see the widgets, which include ratings and pricing info.

Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.

Games

Gemini

Android Police coverage: Take an exploratory journey through the heavens with Gemini - A Journey of Two Stars

While you may not at first understand what exactly is going on in Gemini - A Journey of Two Stars, it is an enjoyable experience all the same.

31 new and notable Android games from the last week (8/23/17 - 8/29/17) was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , Tablets 6:24 AM No comments

Instagram now allows multiple photos/videos posts to be in aspect ratios other than 1:1, adds minor design tweaks

Back in February, Instagram began allowing up to 10 photos/videos in one post. However, they were restricted to a 1:1 (in layman's terms, a square) aspect ratio. With the latest version 12 update for Instagram on both the Play Store and Apple's App Store, those multiple photos/videos can now be in any aspect ratio, so long as the photos/videos within one post are of the same ratio.

So that main aspect of the update is pretty self-explanatory.

Instagram now allows multiple photos/videos posts to be in aspect ratios other than 1:1, adds minor design tweaks was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , Tablets 5:09 AM No comments

Samsung Set to Launch “Star Pink” Galaxy Note 8, But You Won’t Be Able to Buy It

Samsung unveiled the highly anticipated Galaxy Note 8 last week during a press event in NYC. At launch, we were told the phone will be available in four colour options including Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Maple Gold and Deep Sea Blue.

Well as it turns a fifth colour version is in the pipeline, but you won’t be able to get it. Remember the Pink Galaxy S8+ model? Well, Samsung is currently preparing an equally pink Galaxy Note 8 variant dubbed Star Pink which will only go on sale in Taiwan. That’s right folks, don’t get your hopes up about ever seeing it arrive on Canadian shores.

Apart from the pink hue, the Galaxy Note 8 will retain the same specs as the other models meaning the phone will come with a 6.3-inch InfinityDisplay with 2960 x 1440 resolution and 521 ppi. A Snapdragon 835 sits underneath the hood, aided by 6GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB/256GB of internal storage.

Of course, the pink Galaxy Note 8 will also take advantage of the dual camera setup which pairs two 12-megapixel sensors for incredible photography opportunities.

The phone will ship out with Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box, but will surely be among the first Samsung phones to receive the Android 8.0 Oreo update.

[ePrice]

The post Samsung Set to Launch “Star Pink” Galaxy Note 8, But You Won’t Be Able to Buy It appeared first on Android in Canada Blog.

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YouTube v12.32.60 includes new logo and video speed controls [APK Download]

Earlier today, YouTube started enabling the Material Design YouTube site for everyone, and announced a new logo. But a few changes were also revealed for the Android app, which are included in today's YouTube 12.32.60 update.

Speed controls

The YouTube desktop site has had video speed controls for a while, but never on the mobile apps. The feature first appeared in the Android app earlier this month, as a server-side test.

YouTube v12.32.60 includes new logo and video speed controls [APK Download] was written by the awesome team at Android Police.

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Apps , Apps/Games – Android Police – Android News , Games , Phones , Tablets 1:49 AM No comments

Safe and Secure Smartphones Will Soon Bear the “Certified Android Devices” Label

In its latest attempt to make Android safer, Google announced it will be branding devices which comply to a specific set of requirements as “Certified Android devices”.

The branding will sit alongside the “Google Play Protect” inscription and will be visible on the product’s retail package.

In case you don’t remember Google’s Play Protect was announced during the company’s I/O 2017 as a security package for Android devices consisting of app scanning, browser protection, as well as anti-theft measures. The program started rolling out just a few weeks ago.

Devices coming from iconic Android smartphone makers like Samsung, HTC or LG are already “Certified Android devices”, but the label will help users know whether more obscure OEMs have complied with Google’s standards or not.

So from now on, when shopping for a new device, make sure to look for the green Google Play Protect logo in order to make sure the device you’re about to buy is safe to use.

News of malware infecting Android apps come at us every week and Google is trying to counter this trend as much as it can. Case in point, recently we’ve heard that 300 apps have been removed from the Play Store as they were found to be secretly hijacking Android devices for DDoS attacks.

[Android]

The post Safe and Secure Smartphones Will Soon Bear the “Certified Android Devices” Label appeared first on Android in Canada Blog.

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